"Maldives has 600,000 visitors a year and we saw
the need for a comprehensive guide to things to do
in the country," said editor Adheel Ismail.
"It's really five guides in one, a tourist guide,
a Maldives guide, an introduction to the city of
Male, an airport guide and accommodation listings.
It is a multi-lingual project with information in
English, French, Italian and German. And it's
multi-media, in the form of a printed book, an
electronic brochure on CD and a web site."
The project is funded by commercial advertising
and the producers say the advertisements are
designed to be an additional source of information
in each section of the book. Maldivian Air Taxi,
for example, has a page of information in the
section on transfers to resorts.
The first issue also contains feature articles on
cruising, the traditional craft of laquer-work and
even on shopping in Majeedhee Magu.
"We should not forget that tourists also like to
go shopping, so we are promoting Male's main
street, just as New York has its Fifth Avenue and
London its Oxford Street! Majeedhee Magu also has
history and is a fascinating place to see," said
Adheel Ismail in an interview on the Maldivian
stand at the Berlin travel fair.
"The whole concept is that the Leisure Guide
should be user-friendly and up-to-date. Visitors
planning to come to Maldives can look up vital
information on the Internet using the online
version, or pick up a printed book when they
arrive at the airport," he said.
The first print run of "Leisure Guide Maldives" is
100,000 copies and the plan is to update it twice
a year with new information and fresh feature
articles. The first edition was launched by the
Maldives Tourism Minister, Dr Mahamood Sougee, at
glittering Maldives evening party held for travel
trade visitors to the world's largest tourism
fair.
Dr Sougee praised the young entrepreneurs who had
the idea of producing a guide book and gave the
project the backing of the Tourism Ministry and
the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board.
This is the first time that a comprehensive guide
to leisure has been produced for visitors arriving
in Maldives. "We aim to provide the discerning
traveller of the 21st century with the most up to
date information on how best to enjoy the last
paradise on earth that is the
Maldives," said Adheel Ismail.
The online version of the guide book is available
at www.leisureguide.mv
